Electric-horn switch.



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

IEIJWARD E. JOIrNsON, Ors'r. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

LECTRIGHGRN SWITCH.-

appuie-ation me'a 'september 21, 1914. serial No. 362,651.

of' concern: 'I 9.- YILQ' 1311s I, EDWARD E. JOHNSON,

,i .1 ldllnited States, residing at ]fa'uf'ljin'jthe cloimty'of Ramsey4and State Mipiiesot ve 'invented certain new s' fulflmpro'rements inElectric-'Horn o an ...u

Switches, -offwhich the following is a speeliicatio'n.-

My invention relates to a switching device forilelectric horne ofautomobiles and has for it'sohjectto provide a device for the pur- 'posesecured to the top post of an automosieering wheel which may be moved inirction tofetfect contact of circuit closingurnenibes and which may bereadily opeijat'e'cl toeffect a light or heavy contact, as mayhedesired. 'In carrying out my inventionlprovi'de in effect 'afloating-contact p'iee'lhaving a' f inger' or button attached t, the'circuit closing members 'a stationary member and a membencarrjedby 'thesaid fioating dev-ice so re lated "it they 'may be brought" into contact'The' ull"- Objects and advantages of my invention Wil'lapear inconnection with the detailed description thereof andare particularlypointed out in the claims.

In tl 1e drawings, illustrating the applica- 'tion" 'of my invention inone form,

Figure, 1 i s ga, sectional view showingHthe 'd form 'of the inventionin position. -s .afto'pvie'w of the parts'shovvnin B'Visa's'ectionalview of a modi- 1g" fisi'a trans-'verse sectional 'ein'odilcationlated'jn Fig. 1, the steeringpost iclit'lie' steering 'Wheel 11 is se-Set into the hollowr top-thereof a i312- has a flange-like shoulder"upon the-top o'fistandard 10. "tl 'centr-a1 bore-1f4= islan en- 'av'ingat the bottom A'thereof 'pon which: rests. a spiral 'Spizing 1 7rried'by the plug 12. Above the "sli-olfd'ers'"13-4 'metall-i-c-f ring'18 which in; electrica-1 connection with one .Wire 19 gtended'Centrally'frorn the sup movement''o;t' the nger'in any direc-Qvforme'ol of insulating mate.

ISlecifcation ofLettcrs-Patent.. Patented Jagg, 1918..

of an electric circuit, said Wire extending through the interior of postl() into central openingll of plug 12, and through an aper ture 20 1nplug 12 to a point of connection' 21 with the ring 18. It is to be notedthat the `top of ring 18,'extends slightly above the top of plug 12,- asindicated at 22.

Ani upper insulating plug 23 has a Ine tallic plate Q4 secured to thelower face thereof by means of countersunk screws 25, and has a roundedwalled projection Q6 extend-ing into a complementary socket 27 formed ina top cap 28 which is secured to post 10. The projection 26 is heldinlposi tion Within socket 27 by means of the spring 17. The plate` 24is then held spaced from the upper p eripheral rimQZ of ring 1 8, andsaid plate is in electrical connection With another 'Wire 29 'of thecircuit by 4which Athe automobile horn is operated, Wire29 extending'throu gh the .interior 'of -post 1 0, through central Opening lltand.the interior of spring 17, and through an opening .30 in plate 241 to.

a point 31, where Wire 29 is secured to plate 24 so as to makeelectrical' connection vtl1 e rewith. AA button or finger 32is-seeuredto the Afloating cap v23. A Screw-.'33 extends through cap 28into a slot 34 in theplug 23, v'vhich keeps said plug from rotatingaxially but gives freedomofmovement in every other direction.

It will. be apparent that the ringer 32 may be moved laterally inanydirection, `'.i'fhich will have theellect. of bringing somelportionof disk 24 into Contact with-the rim of ring 18, thus closing-'theelectricl circuita'nd operating4 the horn. It is immaterial 'fromWhichs-ide the button 321s struck. It is also true that a very' shortcontact may be madeg which will have the effect Ofi operating the maybemade, which h asthe effect of'producing a much louder. blast Of thehorn.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the4 `9 horn'only slightly; -or a-durati'ng contact':

cylinder and each 2.5*

the same, passing through the opening 14 and the/interior of standard10, as in the first construction. The other circuit wire -29 1s inelectrical -connection with a metallic goet 37 which extends .within thering 36.

he post 37 maybe continuous with the button or finger 3'2,4 whichextends through the .plug 26 and is secured fixedl thereto 'by' a fmetallic nut 3B. With this o rm of device it is apparent that similarresults may be ,obtainedto those coming from the use ofthe,-.iirst-naineddevice. Oscillation of finger 32 in'any directionlaterally will cause contact of post 37 with the interior of ring 36,closing the horn-operating circuit. Or, by pressing down upon nger=32contact may be effected through nut 38.

As illustrated in 4Fig. 4, a construction' the common .wire 29- runningto' late 24 each comprise a separate circuit. his arcan be oeratedsimultaneously,

rangement tlius provides a multiple circuit switch in whichindependently, any pair of adjacent circuits or all of the circuitsinvolved maybe operated simultaneously. l The simplicity and operatingswitch will be apparent. The

finger 32 rises in the most convenient position at the center of thesteering post. The

hands of the driver are normally upon the steering wheel. He can useeither hand to pushing the ture of the contact may be an insulating plugrigidly secured in the plug d so.

said circular contact inem operate the horn switch and. may do so byfingert 32 in any lateral or' downward direction. This can be doneiiistantly without in any way interfering with the steering operation.Moreover, the navaried at will, -thereby eiiecting a variation in the-blast of the horn. The construction is one which mayreadily be appliedto the steering wheel standards of automobiles'without the necessity oflreconstruction, and which is perfectly housed and'cannot get out ofrepair.

I claim: l t. 1. An electric switch comprising a post,

end-of said post, a contact member on said having a circular, Contactsurface, a spring supported by the said insulating lug, a movablecontactl -member supported by the spring in floating s aced relation toer, and an exosed piece adapted to be engaged by the Band of theoperator. to move the movable any circuit canbe operated efficiency ofmy horn- `comprising a standard, a ca #member under both rectilinear andtiltingI movement to' cause a part thereof to etectf' contact with 'somepart of the circular contactsurface. 4

2. Aii electric switch comprising a post,: a.v hollow insulating plugrigidly secured in the end of said post, a contact member on' said p lughaving a circular contact surface, a spring supported bythe saidinsulating plug, al movable contact member supportedby the' spring infioating spaced-relation to said circular contact member, an exposed'piece adapted to be engaged by the hand of the operator to -move themovable member under both rectilinear and tilting movement to causeapart thereof to effect contact with some art of the4 circular contact srface, and circuit wires extending. through said hollow plug vand to therespective contact members.

3. An electric switch for automobile horns comprising a standard, a pairof insulating plugs supported upon said standard, a contact -plate oneach of 'said plugs','a spring holding said plugs in normal spacedrelation, and a finger -for moving one of the plugs relatively to theother in various direct-ions to effect contact between the contactpieces regardless of the direction in which the finger is moved. Y

4. An electric switch for automobile horns -comprising a standard, a capon said standard, an insulating plug. fixed on the standardwithin thecap, an insulating plug springheld against the cap and movable invarious directions to close the switch, contact members on therespective plugs normally held in spaced relation, and a finger rigidlyconnected with the top plugand extending throu h said cap.

. 5. in electric switch for automobile horns on said standard having arhollow soc iet in the top thereof, 'an insulating plug fixed on thestandard within the cap, a second insulating plug having a roundedprojection seated within said socket, contact plates on said insulatinglug having relatively circular contact sur aces, a spring supported bythe fixed` plug and holding the-otherplug against the'cap and with theprojectionin said socket so that said contact plates are normally spacedone from the other and movable toward each other under both rectilinearand tilting'action, and a -inger rigidly' secured to the extensionvofthe mov-` able plug.

6. An electric switch for automobile lliorns comprising a standard, acap'on said standard, an insulating plug fixed on the standard withinthe cap, a second insulating plug, a spring holding said second plugagainst th rectilinear and tiltable action, a

EDWARD E. JOHNSON.

Witnesses i IRENE EMPENGER fixed plug and having an edge thereof exposedabove tliesnme, a plateon the other plug having its outer limitsextending above 4said exposed edge,` and a finger rigidly connected withthe top lplug and extending throgh said cap,

In testimony nihereofhl ai: my isgnature F. A. WHITELEY.

